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Dynex wins strong support for power device R&D from the UK Government

08.07.14

Exciting times for power electronics R&D

Lincoln England, July 8th 2014 - Dynex Semiconductor today announced that it had been successful in its application to work within a consortium led by Cummins UK to support the development of new stop-start engine capabilities, improving commercial vehicle fuel efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions.

The UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, is supporting this £9.9 million pound project by awarding the consortium a grant of £4.9 million to introduce this technology. The funding supports the Advanced Propulsion Centre’s initiative to build UK manufacturing strength in low carbon vehicles. Dynex will work with others to develop new power semiconductor modules enabling the introduction of new inverter technology for this automotive application.

Paul Taylor, Dynex CEO, commented, “Dynex is already a key player in power devices for electric motor drives and we are delighted to have the opportunity to contribute our expertise to this project. This complements our strategy to enter the global automotive supply chain.”

This success follows a series of awards made to Dynex Semiconductor by the UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, adding to four other R&D project awards: these other co-funded projects cover the following research topics

High voltage, silicon carbide power devices for power converter systems in future electric grids

Compact DC-DC converter systems for electric vehicles

Advanced health monitoring technologies applied to high power IGBT modules to facilitate remote applications such as offshore

Overall, these projects bring to Dynex more than £750K of co-funding towards their costs over three years. Also, as previously announced by the company, Dynex has secured £1 million support from the UK Government’s Regional Growth Fund linked to safeguarding existing jobs and creating new R&D jobs over the next five years in the Company’s R&D Centre in Lincoln, England. This support enabled Dynex to sign an agreement with it major shareholder, Zhuzhou CSR Times Electric, which is based in China and which will contribute £15.9 million of R&D funding over a three year period commencing January 2014.

Together the R&D projects that are being supported by the combination of UK government co-funding, China private funding, and Dynex’s own investment will develop the next generation of high power semiconductor devices and production technologies at the Dynex R&D Centre in Lincoln to underpin the future of manufacturing jobs in Lincoln.

Paul Taylor, further commented, “This is a very exciting time for power electronics R&D at Dynex. We are busily recruiting skilled engineers to join our R&D centre and many of the new projects are already underway. The future technologies and products we are developing here are largely aimed at electric vehicle and transportation markets, electric grid applications and the renewable energy sector, all of which are sectors in which the UK has particular strengths in academic research, system design and manufacture. It is these strengths and the access to UK funding that explains why CSR Times Electric is focusing on the UK as its base for R&D.”

Paul Taylor continued, “We are committed to remaining at the forefront of high power semiconductor developments and to maintaining our production and R&D in the UK, and the support of both the UK Government and Zhuzhou CSR Times Electric is essential if we are to do that.”

Editor’s Notes

As the UK’s innovation agency, one of the main roles of the Technology Strategy Board is to achieve business and economic growth for the UK. One way the organisation supports this is through funding innovative Collaborative Research and Development (CR&D) projects. Collaborative research and development (R&D) encourage businesses and researchers to work together on innovative projects in strategically important areas of science, engineering and technology – from which successful new products, processes and services can emerge, contributing to business and economic growth.

Find out more about the CR&D programme here: https://www.innovateuk.org/-/collaborative-r-d

The Regional Growth Fund is a £3.2 billion fund designed to help companies in England to grow. So far £2.6 billion of funding has been allocated to support projects and programmes committed to delivering sustainable jobs and economic growth. Round 5 selected bidders will be announced in spring. A sixth-round will launch in summer.